


Four Times Mcvries Almost Kissed Garraty and The One Time He Did

by Fionnalina



Category: The Long Walk - Richard Bachman
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-03-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:21:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22991647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fionnalina/pseuds/Fionnalina
Summary: Ray Garraty and Peter McVries are just friends, but when McVries doesn't kiss him he can't help but feel disappointed.
Relationships: Ray Garraty/Peter McVries
Comments: 1
Kudos: 31





	Four Times Mcvries Almost Kissed Garraty and The One Time He Did

4 Times McVries Almost Kissed Garraty and The One Time He Did.

And when McVries doesn't kiss him, Garraty can't help but feel disappointed.

* * *

First Time.

Garraty and McVries had met at the beginning of vacation.

Garraty worked as a babysitter, and McVries little sister needed somebody to take care of her, that had been pretty much all.

Now he wasn't working, not really, he was just lazily listening to music on McVries' floor. McVries was lying opposite of him, their foreheads almost touching.

They hadn't known each other for a very long while, but somehow Garraty felt like that wasn't necessary, and that's what he considered weirder.

He had never been good at quickly befriending people, he wasn't that charming type that could simply get it on with everybody, but he had spoken to McVries once or twice while working, and now here they were.

McVries slIghtly moved his head from where it had been resting, for what Garraty knew, must have only been a couple of hours and yet felt like it had always been there. "Ray. Do you dance?."

"Yes?"-Garraty had also come to known McVries' unpredictability (If he could call it that) in the short time they had known each other, and he had accepted he could never quiet tell what McVries had in mind-"How did you know?."

"Katrina told me."

"How do you feel knowing you got a snitch for sister?" Katrina had asked him to dance with her one time she had been bored, and then she had been surprised he actually knew how. He had asked her to keep it a secret.

He realized there wasn't any real need for secrecy, but he didn't want others to know he knew, it didn't make for the best image for a 16 year old boy to take dancing classes twice a week, but he supposed he had been expecting a little too much for the little Katrina who adored her older brother to keep a secret from him.

He swallowed quietly, was he afraid McVries was gonna make fun of him now? Surely not.

"Shall we dance?"

"Uh?" McVries had prompted himself entirely up with his elbows, as if he hadn't just said something extremely out of place.

"Allow me to repeat myself. Shall we dance?" McVries had gotten on his knees, he placed one arm in front of him and bowed his head.

"You are insane" But Garraty sounded unsure to his own ears (Unsure? Unsure of what?)

"C'mon you dance with my little sister all the time, and yet you can't even dance with me one time?."

"I danced once with her."

"That wasn't an objection. Let's dance" McVries got on his feet and forced Garraty up

"What do you even want to dance?."

"Whatever it's fine."

"There's too many dancing styles Pete..." Garraty looked to the side as if he was trying to hide for McVries, elongating his sentences without having anything else to say.

"Then the one that's like this" And McVries put his arms around Garraty's waist, one hand interlacing with Garraty's own.

"That's waltz" Garraty's body was screaming at him to bat McVries' hands off him and run away, he wondered if he would freeze and freak out, but he didn't, he instead, quietly placed his own arms around McVries.

"Then let's waltz."

"How are we going to dance waltz to lofi music?" He said so but Garraty didn't take his arms off, he just kept silently moving along with the song.

"Then imagine it's the Pyotr Llyich Tchaikovsky Waltz."

Garraty searched inside his brain for whatever McVries was currently talking about, McVries had this weird costume of speaking in references nobody else understood "You mean the Sleeping Beauty Waltz"

"Yes that one" McVries spinned him closer.

"You dance too."

"Not as well as you do, honey" And he spinned him again.

And again and again and this probably wasn't even waltz anymore, and Garraty very probably shouldn't be doing this, and he shouldn't be holding him with this much strength, and they shouldn't be so close to each other, and they shouldn't be dancing this sort of thing together, and they shouldn't be.

But they are.

And McVries is so so close, and he stares at his eyes, and at his mouth and he gets closer, somehow closer, always closer, and he doesn't know what he's about to do, but he closes his eyes anyways.

And McVries spinns him away again.

Garraty opens his eyes.

* * *

Second time.

Garraty and McVries were hanging out in the pool.

Garraty didn't stop hanging out with McVries, even when sometimes he thought he should, he couldn't bring himself to it.

He couldn't ever bring himself to walking away, and that was troublesome.

Sometimes Garraty wondered just how much trouble he was willing to go trough just to be with McVries.

He wondered how much trouble McVries was willing to go trough just to be with him.

He figured; too much.

He heard a deep breath and the sound of water opening besides him.

"40 seconds"-McVries had been counting how much time he could be underwater-"Your turn."

McVries swam closer to him. Garraty was awfully aware of how he looked covered head to toe in sweat, water and chemicals.

"I'm sure I can do more" Garraty raised his arms and prepared to dunk himself. He heard McVries stiff a laughter before he went down.

"You are adorable Ray."

McVries was nothing but a blurry mess of colours before him now. Garraty could vaguely make out the white bumpy scar on the side of his face, he wondered how it would feel to touch it.

He wondered way too much.

He closed his eyes, and felt a force bump besides him.

He heard McVries laughter, and wondered how long you could laugh underwater without choking, he figured too little, he laughed too, he figured it was worth it.

McVries swam besides him like his second habitat was the sea. Garraty didn't know how he was so good at everything.

Garraty began swimming too, feet off the ground how would life be, always underwater?.

They chased each other, circling each other.

He felt a grip on his right foot and went down. McVries was laughing.

Garraty swam towards him, aiming for McVries left foot. He heard himself laughing.

He reached for McVries' foot, and pulled with all his strength. He couldn't see trough the mist of bubbles surrounding them now.

He heard a deep shaky breath and he felt a push on his arm, it felt like that push could carry all the strength in the world.

His arms were pushed down and he reached.

He reached for anything he could hold.

He grabbed McVries' sides and pushed upwards, with all the strength in the world.

He swam to the edge of the pool and held onto the cement, McVries' head resting on his chest, his eyes were red.

"Pete! Are you okay Pete?"-His hand went from McVries' side up to his back. He felt McVries' ragged breathing shaking his own core-"Hey Pete answer me."

He moved his hand up and down without bothering to decide whether that was right or not, he felt McVries sigh and gripped harder.

"Sorry lost balance for a moment there."

"Never do that again"-McVries had stood up but his face was still too close, his scar reflected the water droplets on it-"Never do that again Pete."

"Sorry" McVries muttered without moving for a second, and then he left his head fall on top of Garraty's chest again.

Garraty reached a hand towards the outline of the scar he could still see, and wondered just how goddam big it was. He caressed it.

McVries raised his head and stared at Garraty, without looking at the hand that was now placed on his cheekbone.

Garraty stood on his tip toes waiting for something, he didn't know what he wanted.

McVries took a step closer to him and then he batted his hand away-"Sorry"- and he went back underwater.

* * *

Third time.

Chocolate cookies and sunday dates.

Garraty had invited McVries to kill time in his house, and only when having McVries there did he realize how very alone his house usually was.

Garraty was inside his kitchen putting together a little lunch (Spaghetti) for the both of them.

McVries peeked over his shoulder-"Oh is there anything you can't do?"- He exaggerated his tone, put a hand on top of his forehead and left himself fall on the counter behind him.

"You of all people shouldn't say that" Garraty peeked at him and smiled, before returning his attention to their food.

"Eh? Me of all people?" McVries' voice had gone back to it's usual depth, as he placed his right foot on the wall.

"Yeah. You of all people."

"Why?" McVries raised a brow at him.

"Well... you can swim and play football"-Garraty had started counting with his fingers-"And you are good at maths and English, your little sister adores you, you are popular with everybody. You want me to keep going?."

"So you think I'm handsome?."

"What the?"-Garraty hissed under his breath-"Shut up Pete."

Garraty averted his eyes from him. He took two different plates and forks and placed them on the counter.

"God. How do you live like this?" McVries lowered his feet, and joined him behind the counter.

"How?" Garraty grabbed his fork, he muddled his food with it.

"Being so self-righteous all the time. I couldn't even picture it" McVries took his fork too, and spun his spaghetti with it.

"You are the one who was complaining about being hungry. Shouldn't you at least actually eat it?" But Garraty realized he wasn't exactly following trough himself either.

"That's called avoiding the question, Ray dear" But McVries actually began eating it.

"Why do you care so much?" Garraty asked him, McVries turned his head ever so slightly at him.

"Uhm?."

"Why do you care so much?. You lie your way I lie my own."

"But do you really want to keep lying forever?."

"Is there a way for us not to have to lie forever?" McVries smiled at that, but he seemed sad. Garraty thought McVries always seemed sad.

One way or the other, in English class in football practice, with Katrina, at school, here, in his house, McVries always seemed so sad.

"Do you like me?."

McVries placed his fork on the table. He placed one hand on Garraty's face.

Garraty placed his own hand on top of McVries'.

They gazed on.

Garraty averted his eyes, and took another bite of their meal "Shut up Pete."

* * *

Fourth time

McVries had invited Garraty to an ice rink, even though neither of them knew how to ice skate, and now here they were.

"Ray. Are you ever going to let go of the railway?" McVries approached him.

Garraty had been holding onto the railway since they had first come in, and even though McVries wasn't exactly an expert on ice skating, he had at least approached the center already, Garraty didn't seem to ever want to move.

"Shut it Pete. I told you I couldn't do this" Garraty gripped the railway harder, then turned around to look at McVries.

"And yet here you are" McVries opened up his arms as if to show the irony of the situation without, somehow, losing balance.

"I know" Garraty looked down.

"Here let me help you. It isn't that hard" McVries kept his arms opened, waiting for Garraty to approach him.

Garraty wanted to but there were so many people around, and it wasn't proper, two guys shouldn't be that close to each other, then again his and McVries' relationship hadn't been proper for a long while now (Had it ever been proper?).

Garraty swallowed. He let go of the railway, and with shaky legs, reached McVries.

He put his hand on top of McVries' chest. McVries looked at it for a second and laughed, laughed like he didn't have a care in the world, Garraty wanted to laugh too, but he cared for the world a little too much.

McVries placed one hand on Garraty's shoulder, and the other one on his waist. Garraty felt goosebumps at his touch, but he didn't want to pry him off.

Somehow he didn't want to.

Garraty set his hands on McVries' shoulders.

"Here you do it like this" McVries bend his knees down, the hand on Garraty's shoulder travelling until his hand, extending it. Garraty started at their hands, together.

"Thought you had never done this before?" He turned his eyes to McVries raising an eyebrow.

"I'm a quick learner, what can I say?" McVries shrugged his arms as much as he could, without losing balance.

"Yeah, whatever you say Pete."

"Let's do a lap."

"Lap?."

"Yeah. Let's stroll the entire ice rink."

"You are gonna get us killed, Pete" But McVries was already directing them, and Garraty didn't feel like putting any opposition.

Garraty couldn't bring himself to walking forward, but he couldn't stand to go back.

McVries held him tighter and turned, Garraty was sure he should be looking in front to make sure they didn't crash, but McVries was so focused on him, and he couldn't avoid his gaze this time.

They kept going until McVries crashed them into the other side.

"Pete!" Garraty landed into McVries chest.

"Hey I told you I didn't know how to do this either" McVries hand was still on his waist, even though there was no need for it. Garraty wondered if that was a weird thing to notice.

"Then you shouldn't have offered" Garraty didn't raise his head away. McVries didn't make him to.

"Sorry. But you have to admit it was fun."

"Yeah Pete super fun. Crashing in a wall."

"It's not a wall."

"Shut it Pete."

They kept each other like that for a short while, or maybe a way too long time.

Garraty didn't know and he didn't care, McVries was too warm and close, and too much him for Garraty to still be able to care.

Of course the fear of all those eyes on them hadn't disappeared, but they were far too small on his own world now.

Garraty raised his head, and looked at McVries.

"Wanna try again?."

"Sure."

* * *

And _That_ One Time.

Garraty was resting on his room, debating whether he should accept going out with McVries, going anywhere with McVries. Debating whether he should even approach him still.

Because in reality it would be easy.

In reality he could just decline the next time the McVries parents asked him to take care of Katrina and find himself another kid, and he could just ignore McVries invitation and never see him again.

They weren't even in the same school or grade, he knew the world would still turn like it had done before McVries, but he wasn't sure what that would mean to him.

Because as much as he knew that he could, he also knew he wouldn't, because between living life without McVries and with him, no matter the hardship, he already knew what his decision would be.

He already knew the answer to that question, and maybe it wasn't right for anybody else, but it was the truth.

He thought about saying no and trying to behave like he could still be right someday, and then reached for his phone to answer McVries' text.

He read the «Let's go to the lake pond» message, replied, and then sighed and fell like dead weight on his bed.

He didn't know how exactly he had ended up like this, but here he was, feeling utterly defeated and yet, he was glad to be seeing McVries.

That was what was so strange about McVries. Garraty could be feeling like the world was about to end, but then he would see McVries, and the world still felt like it was going to end but McVries was there, and suddenly even that was better.

His phone sounded, Garraty read McVries new message and replied.

They were going to the lake until night, which left him with a whole afternoon of talking and thinking of McVries, to then seeing McVries, and maybe committing the worst mistake of his life.

~~

It was night. His phone had died while talking to McVries. Garraty wondered what that said about him.

The bell rang, he knew that could only mean McVries was at his door, that should be a familiar, normal sight and yet the way it made Garraty feel wasn't normal at all.

"Hey Pete" Garraty stood on his side of the doorway, with his right hand resting on top of the wall. He wondered just how nervous he must have looked to McVries. He wondered what McVries would think about that, but something told him McVries wouldn't mind.

"Hey Ray" McVries sang along, Garraty raised his left hand to his face to hide a chuckle.

They went out. They walked all the way to the park, with the lake pond. Garraty thought that this is what he liked so much about going anywhere with McVries.

McVries could talk and talk forever about anything, and he could just listen to him, and ask stuff sometimes, and just be there, and it would be alright.

Garraty didn't feel that way with anybody else in his life. In Garraty's life there was always a certain mark of performance that he didn't think anybody else could see, but he could, he would always know.

He didn't feel that way around McVries.

McVries on the other hand, always seemed to be feigning, one way or the othe,r with his friends, family, with Garraty himself.

Garraty thought that maybe he was being selfish, being himself without caring about how McVries wasn't, but he couldn't help it.

They arrived to the park.

"C'mon Ray hurry up" McVries grabbed his wrist and ran towards the lake.

"Why are you so excited about this?."

"You don't know what's in tonight?" McVries turned back to look at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What's in tonight?."

"The fireworks Ray." McVries grinned at him slightly swinging Garraty's arm.

"There's fireworks tonight!?."

"Yes Ray. So may you accelerate your steps?" McVries bowed his head slightly, simpered then began running again.

Garraty laughed as he tried to catch up, he thought he could spend his whole life running besides McVries and that would feel okay.

"Let's sit over there" McVries pointed to a fallen trunk tree. Garraty realized he was still holding onto his wrist, he didn't say anything about it.

They approached the trunk and sat.

Garraty looked at him, and he looked and looked until McVries turned to him.

"And no you are not listening."

"I'm sorry what?" Garraty had been looking at his lips, without realizing McVries was actually talking.

"I said"-McVries did a dramatic pause and fakely coughed as if to clear his throat before a very important reading-"The fireworks are about to begin. Look." McVries nodded with his head towards the black starry sky and Garraty turned to it, a static cut noise and then an explosion of colours before them.

McVries laughed as they went off, and Garraty knew he should be focusing on the show before him, but McVries looked too happy, too free, too himself for Garraty to ever consider missing it.

"What is it?" McVries tried to yell over the noise, but the fireworks still muffled his voice. Garraty thought he sounded like he came from the moon, and in the state they were in, McVries could have come from the moon and Garraty would have followed him back there.

Garraty wanted to plainly say «Nothing» and go back to shamelessly starring at McVries, but he knew that wouldn't be enough for him.

He knew if he didn't do it now, in the middle of the night, surrounded by people and yet so alone, drowned away in shiny colours and explosive noise, he would never find the bravery to attempt it again.

And he had to. If he didn't know anything else, he knew he had to.

"I do" The sound came strangled from somewhere very deep down inside, so deep and primal it didn't bend down to the mind, and everything that it had been taught and told until now.

"What do you do?" McVries looked at him, earnestly, straight in the eyes and Garraty thought that maybe he already knew, that maybe McVries needed to hear him saying it out loud as much as he needed to get it out.

"I do! I like you! I do like you!" Garraty screamed trough the sea of noise as if nobody else could hear them, as if even if only for tonight, the whole night belonged to them and only them.

McVries reached down to him and kissed him.

He kissed and kissed and Garraty kept kissing back.

They kissed up until the fireworks had gone off and they could hear their own breathing, and then some more.

They kissed until they couldn't anymore.

McVries held his hand up to his mouth like he was trying to hold the sensation of Garraty's mouth on his own. He caught his breath, turned to Garraty and smirked "So you do think I'm handsome."

"Shut up Pete."

And they laughed and laughed, and Garraty thought that maybe they could live their whole lives like this and it would really be okay.


End file.
